id America makes some very unique cases. We looked at their iconic Gasket case for iPhone 4 which is a metal case. The Ice and DryIce cases are hard plastic cases with the Ice in clear form and the DryIce with a frosty layer of soft silicone coating. The DryIce case for the iPhone 4 is very sturdy yet the surface feels soft and not slippery. The case is protective and very easy to use.

Design

The id America DryIce case is made with strengthened polycarbonate plastic that's form fitting to the iPhone 4. The case comes in two pieces, and it's quite easy to shut or open the pieces to put in the iPhone 4 or take it out. The frosty silicone coating not only gives the hard plastic case a softer texture that feels nice in hand, but also gives the case a layer of white-haze look that matches the name of DryIce. The back of the phone has id America?s signature logo ?Born in New York? as these cases are made in New York. The cutouts on the DryIce case for the iPhone 4 have a pleasing artistic look. As with the Gasket case for iPhone 4, the DryIce comes with two protective films that cover the front and back of the iPhone 4.

Unlike the Gasket case, the DryIce case wraps around the iPhone 4 and covers the edges of the front display bezel. The front edges of the case feels robust and can certain protect iPhone 4?s screen from touch flat surfaces when you put the phone face down. The id America DryIce case for iPhone 4 is slim and weighs less than an ounce. The clear Ice case and the frosty DryIce case have one design difference: the Ice case has a screwed on bottom while the DryIce case only has snap-on design.

Features

Aside from the attractive frosty dry ice look, the id America DryIce case has attractively designed cutouts, and these generous cutouts give easy access to all ports and buttons on the iPhone 4. The bottom of the case has one long cutout that leaves the 30-pin connector and bottom speaker/mic open, and since the cutout is large, we could plug the iPhone 4 in several audio speakers and docks while in this case. The side cutout is also large to give you access to the silence button (AT&T and Verizon versions) and the volume buttons. The top cutouts on the DryIce case leaves out the audio jack and mic and the power button for easy access. The rear camera cutout is also large and will not block the light coming from the flash. The camera cutout is framed in black, providing a contrast to the frosty back cover.

As with the id America Gasket case, the DryIce case for iPhone 4 also comes with two films that cover the entire front and back of the phone. These films also have cutouts on them: the back film has a cutout for the rear camera and flash; the front film has cutouts for the earpiece, front camera and Home button. The protector films are more robust than the usual screen protectors and the case comes with an installation kit for the films. For those of you who have trouble taking the case off: just start with the bottom of case, use the bottom cutout space to pull the two pieces apart. Easy to do.

Conclusion

For your daily wear and tear, pokes and bumps in a bag or backpack, the id America DryIce for iPhone 4 case can handle the protection well. It?s got films covering the front and back of the phone, and a sturdy hard plastic case covering the back, sides and front edges of the iPhone 4. The case looks cool, and all ports and buttons are easily accessible. It's reasonably slim and light, and it works with many audio and docking accessories. We like the soft touch of the DryIce case that also gives a better grip. It?s simple yet has lots of styling in one package.